Departure of MV Sparta IV, Aleksandr Shabalin and a Kilo class submarine suggest Russia may be shipping military equipment for its own forces and could re-establish a Mediterranean Sea SSK presence
Great assessment in connecting the dots. My guess is Moscow is negotiating a deal with Algeria. Benghazi could be a PLAN B after Tartus. But it lacks the infrastructure I think to handle Russian Kilos, even for pit stops. Algiers it seems is a much better choice but Italy gets a vote due to warming ties to Algiers. See Italian Compass on the trajectory of Algeria-Italian relations.
Krasnodar is more or less confirmed for the failed attempt to get out of Skagerak in JAN. The convoy including SPARTA. & SPARTA II has highly likely passed Sicily and is closer to Sardinia -way past the point where it would turn S for Bengazhi -Remains to be seen if the FFG'stay in the Med
Great assessment in connecting the dots. My guess is Moscow is negotiating a deal with Algeria. Benghazi could be a PLAN B after Tartus. But it lacks the infrastructure I think to handle Russian Kilos, even for pit stops. Algiers it seems is a much better choice but Italy gets a vote due to warming ties to Algiers. See Italian Compass on the trajectory of Algeria-Italian relations.
Krasnodar is more or less confirmed for the failed attempt to get out of Skagerak in JAN. The convoy including SPARTA. & SPARTA II has highly likely passed Sicily and is closer to Sardinia -way past the point where it would turn S for Bengazhi -Remains to be seen if the FFG'stay in the Med